Muralist John Christian at work on the prominent Coca-Cola mural in downtown Jasper.

Mid-afternoon Saturday, June 29, motorists in downtown Jasper may have noticed the Coca-Cola mural at the prominent Main Street/Highway 53 intersection was getting a much-needed revamp, which includes the addition of the iconic Sprite Boy and a classic Coke bottle.

Professional muralist John Christian, owner of John W. Christian Studios, was commissioned for the job by the Coke company, which he said has taken a more active role in freshening up their murals that appear on the sides of buildings across the nation. Christian has done several Coke murals recently, and estimated that the original mural on

the side of the downtown Jasper building was likely painted in the 1920s. Coke doesn’t own that building, but Christian said, “In these cases they own the surface of the wall” the mural is on.

The most recent paint job did not use the correct Coke colors, which Christian is changing to the more vibrant Coke red. He is also adding Sprite Boy, the pixie-like character Coca-Cola used for its marketing campaign in the early 1940s.

“Before there was the drink Sprite, there was Sprite boy,” Christian said.

The artist said this mural should last around 20 years, and added that he is also redoing the American flag mural on the same building.